Life Better Known
by life.goals.zero
Summary: Monsters and humans use to co-exist in harmony. Monsters killed those who stayed out passed sun down. A guarded secret by village officials, told to children as fairy tales. When a small boy goes out to find his father, he witnesses his death. The secret was out, the trust was broken. Co-existence was a fantasy dream. And that's when the fairy tales became reality.
1. Chapter 1

When the sun goes down the monsters come out to play.

When the monsters come out, so do the monster hunters.

When battle ensures, one remains.

Monsters fight for the right to live their cursed life.

Monster hunters fight to free the inevitable death for humans.

They use to live in co-existence easily.

When the death of a loved one goes noticed in the eyes of a child, no one monster should ever remain. 

Temari walked throughout the night with no fear. She wasn't afraid of monsters like everyone else. This young girl that looks no more than 18 is truly a monster herself. Though most monsters are made through biting or scratching, Temari was born like this.

Sabaku no Temari is a half-demon.

Her mother was a human, who fell in love with a monster who played the role of a human. He was the Night Demon of Suna, a powerful demon that protected the village. He was able to control things with powers he gained through human sacrifice. He loved her as well, and had 3 children with her. Temari is the oldest, the only half demon child. Kankuro is the middle child, he is a puppet master. He has the ability to control objects by focusing on them. Gaara is the youngest. He is able to control sand, mainly all of the sand in Suna. They were a happy family, living in the outskirts of the village. They never attracted attention to themselves and stayed out of the eyes of the elite team of monster hunters that lived in Suna.

That was until one day, when Temari was about 16. Her mother witnessed her father kill a young boy that Temari lured back to their home. Her father was starting to lose the calm, controlled demeanor that he usually has. He needed the life of a human. Her mother ran to the village, screaming and crying until she ran into the small headquarters of the monster hunters.

The monster hunters came to kill them, but they were ready. Gaara used the sand to cloak himself and hide from the ones who wanted him dead. He was lucky that day. Temari who was in her human form at that point was sitting helplessly inside their cave with no way to defend herself. Kankuro had tried to protect her, but failed.

Temari was locked in ANBU custody, the official name for the monster hunter community. They took DNA and blood samples to see if she was truly a human. When the tests came back incomplete the ANBU were planning on torturing her to find out the truth.

That's when the demon that was hiding inside of her burst out. It used the wind to escape, breaking the building into pieces. She then fell into a pile of sand and floated in the treacherous winds to her brother.

Temari thought back to when she appeared in front of Gaara in her demon form.

_Gaara had a look of shock on his face. He knew a monster was creating deadly winds in the village but the signature of it felt similar. It wasn't until Temari had appeared in front of him looking more so like a demon than their father that he understood. Temari smiled when she noticed the smaller cave they were hiding in. It was their secret hideout._

"_You finally tapped into your power." Gaara said simply, his green eyes studying her in all ways. His red hair was dishevelled as always and his eyes looked darker around them than normal._

_Temari went to speak but then grabbed her head wincing. She fell to her knees trying to stop the immense pressure that had built up in her head. The winds had started swirling around her, blocking her out from Gaara._

_When everything had calmed down she looked up to see Gaara staring at her._

"_What happened?" Temari asked confused_

"_You're human again. Well, the human part of you." Gaara stated, pulling out a small pocket watch he treasured and handed it to her._

_Temari frowned when she was her features that showed she was human. She never had such luck like her brothers when it came to being able to control her powers._

"_I talked to father about this." Gaara stated which piqued Temari's interest._

_Gaara and their father never got along that well. Gaara had greater control over the sand he once controlled. He was able to take control of any sand his father was controlling. Their father was proud and infuriated at this._

"_You know, we aren't the only born monsters out there." Gaara said again._

"_I know. Father told me that a lot." Temari said quickly._

"_You may be the only one who can't control your demon half, but there is someone who can blend the two of you together. You just have to find her." Gaara said sitting next to his sister._

"_Is she going to teach me about stupid self-control and meditations?" Temari asked jokingly_

_Gaara just looked at her, frowning. Temari gave him a look back._

"_Take this seriously. You aren't safe here if you can't defend yourself. You aren't safe period." Gaara said sentimentally._

"_I can defend myself. Kankuro taught me every fighting move father taught him. Tell me where to go to find this mystery lady." Temari said quickly. She hated being known as the weakest of the three of them._

_Gaara walked deeper into the cave and came back with a leather bag. As children they would sneak into the village and steal from vendors. It was a small test for them to see if their disguised forms would get caught. Temari never got caught._

"_Her name is Tsunade. She's a powerful lady, and her powers as a demon come from the small gem placed in her forehead. Last record of her whereabouts was Mist village. It's a very dangerous place out beyond our safe home." Gaara said handing her a worn picture of the lady._

"_I'll come back." Temari said taking the picture and leather bag. "I'll come back and be able to control the demon inside of me. I promise."_

"_Watch out for monsters and humans alike. Everyone wants us dead." Gaara said simply before Temari ran off across the sands._

_That was the last time Temari saw her brother. That was the last time Temari felt any sanity left in her._

Temari shook her head, clearing it of thoughts of doubt. She loved her family more than anything. She loved her mother even though she had betrayed them. She loved her father and brothers even though they were murderers. She needed to succeed to feel a part of their broken family.

Her trip was lasting longer than expected. The mystery lady was no longer in the Mist village. She had left months before Temari's arrival. Of course some of the people she had talked to had said she might have left for home. To protect those who needed it more.

"_She's going to the place where they breed the monster hunting scum." A friendlier vampire said blood glistening from his fangs. He could sense Temari was not human and opted to take her into his home in her search._

"_Where is it?" Temari asked desperately._

"_Whoa youngling," The vampire man said. He was older than Temari's father and thought Temari was foolish to leave safety at such a young age. "You shouldn't go there even if you look human, best to wait it out and catch her when she leaves. I have connections in that area."_

_Temari left in the middle of the day, when her vampire friend was hiding from the sun._

A snap of a twig made Temari remember she wasn't always alone. She felt the tingle go down her spine from her inner demon. The human in her might have felt fear, but the demon in her felt excitement and bloodlust. Temari sighed and continued walking. She didn't want to give into anyone, whether it is her two halves or her hunter.

She felt fur brush her as her hunter ran by her. The foot prints on the ground told her she was being hunted by a werewolf.

"Typical." Temari stated and winced slightly as her vision blurred before becoming clearer. Werewolves hunted anything that entered their territory. She could feel the wind pick up slightly, responding to the excitement inside her.

Temari pulled the cloak that was inside the leather bag closer to her frame. The wind was colder than normal. Not something that usually happened. She saw the wolf jump in front of her with her demon eyes before she could react.

"Would you piss off?" Temari asked angered. She just wanted to understand herself and what happened when she was born. "I'm looking for someone and I have no time for your stupid petty games."

The werewolf was confused and gave a low growl in response. Temari shrugged it off and walked to the right to go around the wolf. She was really tired of monsters mistaking her for a human. She felt the wolf stalking her from behind and felt her blood boil even more.

'She's taking over.' Temari thought to herself when she became immobilized and her head began to spin, but the pain of being ripped from her body never came. Her inner demon couldn't pull the fearful human from place.

Temari did feel a pain, from the wolf jumping on her and biting into her left shoulder. Screaming from the bite, she felt the wolf jump back in disgust from her blood. Temari took this as her chance to stand up and defend herself. She took three steps towards the wolf and kicked the wolf in the jaw.

It quickly recovered and jumped her again. But Temari, being fueled by determination, flipped the werewolf over her and slammed it on the cold and slightly frozen ground. The wolf did manage to scratch her entire arm, causing Temari to grimace in pain.

The wolf, though clearly stunned, stood back up and lunged again. Temari didn't react fast enough and felt the fangs bite into her neck with the intent to kill.

She felt more pain than just the wolf trying to rip her neck out as her inner demon took complete control. Temari watched as in a dreamlike state as her demon, who called herself Riau, began creating a wind storm that threw the wolf into trees and rocks. She was malicious and sadistic. When the wolf had pawed at the earth and bowed its head before running off, Riau left Temari to the rest of her journey.

Temari felt exhausted. Riau took Temari's energy to defend them both, which didn't help in times of danger. Temari felt like she was on fire. A werewolf changes humans by biting and allowing their saliva to change the DNA. But against monsters it felt like poison was coursing through her veins.

The world spun and darkness danced on the edge of Temari's vision as she saw the front gate of the village. It was closed, meant to keep monsters from walking the streets, but they could still get through. She reached the gates in time to grab the iron bars and fall against them. She might have mumbled a straggled help but she couldn't remember.

She remembers people saying something from inside the gates. But they were in houses and small buildings and wouldn't leave until morning. Temari felt accomplished and very alone at the same time.

"I'll be home soon." Temari mumbled to herself and Gaara, where ever he may be.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Temari woke up on a cold, hard concrete slab instead of the cool, smooth grass of the outdoors. She was in small room, what she believed to be a jail cell. It had a dim light and a very tiny window at the very top of the ceiling. There were bars along one wall, and a concrete wall outside of it.

Temari sat and tenderly touched her head. She had a pounding headache and was sure Riau was involved with it. She slowly looked herself over, examining the long pink lines that ran down her arm. She was sure that the bite marks would now be pink and shiny, like an old scar. Riau may cause pain when she comes and goes, but she does take good care of Temari when she can't.

The sound of heavy boots echoed down the hall. Temari cringed at each step as her head hurt more and more. She wanted to scream and yell at the mysterious person but instead she curled up on the concrete bed and placed her pounding head against the cool damp wall of her jail. She ignored everything around her.

"Hey you." A gruff voice said when the foot prints stopped.

Temari ignored it and tried to breathe calmly as Riau stirred in sudden interest. Temari had gotten her to quiet down enough to not notice her and now this person had excited her again.

"Hey girl." The voice called again a little louder. A clanging of metal against metal made Temari grab her head and wince in pain. "This isn't a hotel it's time for you to leave."

Temari opened one eye to see who the mystery man was. He looked like an ordinary man, but he had two scars on his face. Inside, Riau flipped, trying to take control with intent to kill the man. Through the string of profanities and death threats Riau was saying, she caught to words that made her fear the worst.

_Monster. Hunter._

"I get it, new people are scary and you probably have a concussion. Get up so you can go to the hospital." The man said opening the cell.

"Why am I here?" Temari asked, her voice sounded tired and worried. She was unsure of what to do this close to a monster hunter.

"You were attacked last night by a monster but somehow survived. When daybreak broke we brought you here, just in case you changed." The man said eyeing her suspiciously.

Temari looked down at her arm. She should have been changed, but Riau used the saliva to heal her just like a werewolf would. No wonder she was being treated like a captive.

"You should go to the hospital. I mean, you look like you've been fighting more than one monster last night." The man said, moving so Temari could get out.

Temari scanned the area as they walked the corridor. She sensed other monsters in the building, ones that were captive and dying to get out. She shuddered as she felt the tingle go down her spine.

Temari walked silently, down to the entrance of the building. She could smell grass and fresh air, much more appealing than the musty smell the prison held. She wanted to run out the door and enjoy the smells that were foreign but familiar.

"Where is the hospital?" Temari asked simply. The man beside her gave her a long look before answering her question.

"I have someone who is coming to escort you. It's a security precaution." He stated simply

Temari nodded and continued walking. She stopped at the door, preparing to step out in the light. She felt a gentle wind coming through the open door, the smell of freshly cut grass and the sound of birds in the distance. It was something completely different to her home. It felt safe.

The man who showed up was bigger than the one beside her. He had a nicer face and seemed slightly worried in her appearance. Temari felt safer with the bigger man than she did with the one with the scars.

"Well young lady, let's get you to the hospital and checked out." The bigger man said. He patted her shoulder, kind of harder than expected, and then walked her out the door.

Temari scanned the area around her while tuning out the babbling man beside her. He really was a caring guy and she felt bad that he wasn't more on edge. If she lost control over something small he could be a dead man.

"Well, Miss, here we are." The man said as he followed her into the building. Temari felt like she walked in a daze the entire time. She barely remembered the way they walked and what her surroundings were, but Riau did, she was on high alert.

"Are you coming in with me?" Temari asked curiously. She was worried about being in the new place, but had much more to worry about than needles.

"Nara wanted you get checked out by someone he trusted. She is young, but has always been able to fix whatever we bring to her. She sure isn't as good as her mentor, but she's getting there." The man said with a big grin.

Temari just nodded and followed him. He was able to gracefully move through the giant crowd of people even for his size. It amazed Temari how the hospital was filled with the sick elders and children who got hurt. But they walked right past them and into a door that needed a card, and her escort just seemed to have one.

They walked into a small office and the secretary looked up with a smile. It faltered when she saw Temari.

"We need to see Sakura." The man said to the secretary. She looked at Temari uneasy then frowned at the man.

"Chouza, you know I can't just let Sakura see anyone. You can't keep bringing in your son's friends because they don't want to wait in the emergency room." She said with a frown. It sounded like it wasn't the first time.

"Shikaku called you right?" The man named Chouza asked. His hands were drumming on the counter which showed his impatience.

"Well, yes." She said trying to figure out what he meant.

"This girl is the one we found outside the gates. And we need Sakura to examine her as soon as possible." Chouza said, annoyance slowly leaking into his voice.

"Ok. She is just finishing up with someone. You guys can see her next." The secretary said her mouth staying in a thin line. She looked nervous.

Temari sat in a chair while Chouza leaned against a wall. They sat silently, and the only sound was muffled talking in a room behind the counter and the clicking of keys from the secretary.

Riau sent tingles down Temari's spine. She was getting claustrophobic and needed to get out. Riau was an impatient demon, and when she wanted something she did whatever to get it. Temari tensed and try to calm herself down.

Temari stood as soon as she heard the door open. She forgot about Riau as she felt Chouza put a hand on her shoulder.

"Slow down, she won't hurt you I promise." Chouza said, thinking she just wanted to get it all over with.

Sakura was a girl shorter than Temari. She had long pink hair pulled into a low ponytail behind her, and bright green eyes. She was beautiful in her own way, and displayed such human innocence. Temari felt a pang of jealousy, wishing she could live like her.

She was with a boy not much older than her. He was dressed in gear that made Temari pale. Riau raged behind the walls Temari had tried to put up. She was forced to sit and grab her head in pain as Riau tried to take over and hurt everyone in her way.

She heard people talking and saw faces but couldn't focus on them. She felt the sharp pain of a needle and winced as everything seemed to slam into place. Her breathing that she didn't know was ragged had slowed down to a normal pace.

"There we go. You look better now." Sakura said with a smile. Temari practically fell forward as she hugged Sakura. Normally it wasn't something she would do, but she saved her from falling off the edge.

"You guys got to her in time. Any longer and we might have had a sandy blonde wolf running around the office." Sakura joked and Temari tensed. She quickly pulled away and looked at the younger girl in confusion. "Relax it's just to eliminate the rest of the saliva that has been trying to transform you, nothing that will actually hurt you."

Temari grabbed her arm where her scars were. They began to sting a little, and then seemed to split open on their own. Sakura saw the blood and quickly dragged her into her small examination room. Temari knew everyone had seen how her arms started bleeding randomly, but she had to be strong.

"Hey get your mind off what has happened. Tell me about yourself." Sakura said as she worked on bandaging her arms up.

"I am Temari." Temari said in a thick voice. "I use to live in Suna, but people there want me dead."

That was all Temari could say before she winced in pain and grabbed her head. Riau faded when Temari was injected with the needle, but came back and wanted out. Sakura gave a small smile before reaching for another bottle with a brownish sludge in it.

"This doesn't taste very good but it helps with your … migraines." Sakura said handing it to her. She watched as Temari drank the tiniest droplet from the bottle and seemed to feel better.

Riau was still there, alert and waiting, but seemed to calm down and not be as angry. Temari felt shocked once she realized that Sakura had given her something to protect the human in her and keep her demon at bay.

"I don't care what you are as long as you don't hurt my friends. I heal everyone they send to me." Sakura stated as she finished cleaning up the mess. She had a genuine smile that made Temari feel comfort.

"Do you have anywhere to go?" Sakura asked lightly. Temari didn't want to share a lot of information with this girl but felt as if she was her only hope.

Temari shook her head no lightly. She wanted to do this on her own. The less people involved the less people that get hurt.

"Look I have a spare bedroom in my apartment. I don't mind helping you until you land on your feet." Sakura stated lightly touching Temari's arm.

Temari hesitated before giving a small smile and a nod. She felt like she could trust this girl.

"Lucky for you I am just getting off. I can show you around town and meet some of my friends." Sakura stated happily.

Temari didn't want to say much, just agreed to keep the girl from asking too much. She had to protect her as much as possible from knowing about her. Temari followed her out of the small examination room and into the reception area. The two men in monster hunter gear were having a quiet conversation until they saw the two girls. The secretary was gone already.

"Well, I have to get going. I will see you guys later." Chouza said and left out the door with a grin on his face.

Sakura waved by as she turned to the younger boy who she examined earlier. He looked bored by everything, and the bandages on his arm seemed to be turning pink in a small line from blood.

"You do need stitches you know." Sakura said casually pointing at the arm.

"It will stop." He stated simply. He was looking at Temari with his piercing eyes, like he could see beneath the façade. "I have to take her into questioning."

"Why?" Sakura asked before Temari could.

"She is the only person to survive a werewolf attack and not be another monster in disguise." The boy stated sounding more increasingly bored.

"Maybe for once it's pure luck and not something suspicious. For once Shikamaru, enjoy your day off with friends and don't worry about your job." Sakura said before pulling Temari out of the hospital. The boy Shikamaru was behind them, but quickly caught up. Sakura grinned and kept walking.

"If looks could kill Sakura, you would be the best monster hunter ever." Shikamaru stated as he walked with his hands behind head. Riau stirred slightly, but Temari could barely feel it.

Sakura dropped Temari's arm and frowned before walking again.

Temari felt like she was at one point, but something happened to keep her from continuing it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Temari got to know Konoha as if it were home to her. Sakura showed her all the best places to go and how to get there. The lush green gave her comfort compared to the dull brown of sand that was everywhere. Temari had never felt more welcomed anywhere than when she was with Sakura walking through the town.

"Are you open minded?" Sakura asked curiously after Shikamaru left. He got away as fast as his lazy feet would take him when Sakura mentioned shopping.

Temari felt her face go red slightly and Riau was snickering. "I don't … Sakura I don't think of you like that." She finally got out hesitantly.

Sakura laughed and smiled. "I'm not like that. I mean, you already know about monsters. How do you feel about them personally?"

Riau tensed which made Temari tense as well. She couldn't let this girl know, even if she could guess. Her vision blurred slightly when Riau wanted to silence the pinkette in front of her.

"They don't bother me." Temari said bitterly as she touched her temple. She watched as Sakura looked around her for anyone listening in on their conversation. She was even more nervous than Temari was.

"Would you like to meet a couple of them?" Sakura asked cautiously. She looked hopeful but scared.

Riau sat on edge, ready to make Temari flee if it was bad. Riau liked her kind more than humans, but was always on edge because of the dangers.

"I'm sorry. If you don't want to we can head back. They won't hurt you, they can't. They have been under the ANBU surveillance since they exposed themselves to the public as harmless creatures. I just haven't seen them in a few days and knew they would like company." Sakura said honestly. She bit her lip nervously.

"I want to meet them." Temari heard herself say. She actually wanted to say no, afraid they would discover her, but the urge to meet monster who exposed themselves was greater.

Sakura jumped happily and clapped her hands. She quickly grabbed Temari's arm and pulled her up a path that was partially obscured by overgrown bushed and trees. Sakura glided up the path expertly and kept pulling Temari, even though she had tripped a few times.

"What are they?" Temari asked curiously as she saw a small cottage. It was in a small well-kept clearing and built to look like a stone house from ancient days.

"It's better if you just see yourself." Sakura said as she grabbed a rock and threw it lightly at the door.

It opened slightly and an orange blur ran out and towards the girls. Riau seemed to push herself into place, making Temari be able to see the movements clearly. It looked like a boy in an orange jumpsuit, except he had an orange tail and blonde and orange fox ears.

He stopped upon noticing Temari and his fur bristled slightly. Shivers ran down Temari's spine and Riau ultimately tried to hide her existence within the human genes inside Temari. It seemed to work as he calmed before Sakura had even noticed.

"Who is your friend Sakura-chan?" the boy asked as he cautiously walked towards his friend but slightly away from Temari.

"Temari, she is visiting from Suna. She was attacked by a werewolf last night and survived." Sakura said closing the distance while bringing Temari closer.

Naruto noticed the scars than ran down Temari's arm and along her neck. He frowned and looked at Sakura.

"He was with me all night. I swear." Naruto stated quickly. They slowly started walking towards the small building.

"We aren't here for that. I stopped by to give you company and introduce you to Temari." Sakura said with a smile.

"Oh." The fox stated as he walked. He looked thoughtful and was giving Temari a sideways glance every once in a while. Then he looked towards the small house and smiled. "SAKURA-CHAN IS HERE!"

Sakura hit the boy across the head and Temari heard a few crashing noises come from the small cottage. It sounded like a big group of people, but it turned out to be a small dog and a boy no older than Sakura following behind.

The small white dog barked and growled slightly as he saw Temari, but then ran full towards Sakura and jumped into her arms. Sakura laughed as the pup licked her face.

"She's new." The brown haired boy stated. He had red triangles on his cheeks and seemed to look completely human like, besides the canine teeth. He smelled like wet dog.

"She's from Suna, got attacked by a werewolf last night." The blonde said rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey! It wasn't me." The kid threw his hands up and looked scared.

Sakura put the white pup down but it growled at Temari then barked at the brown haired kid. Riau wanted to kill the yappy thing, but was trying to keep herself hidden for safety's sake.

"Temari these are my friends, Kiba and Naruto. Naruto is a half blood, which means he is part human and part fox. He was born like that, but turns into a full fox at night. Kiba is a werewolf, though he looks more like a dog than a wolf. The white dog is Akamaru, he follows Kiba everywhere." Sakura said introducing them.

Temari stopped listening after she said Naruto was a half blood. Was Temari considered a half blood? She wanted to ask everything and anything that came to mind but couldn't.

"She doesn't smell human." A voice from the door way said. Temari could see two eyes. One was dark and barely noticeable; the other was bright red with black spots in it.

Riau stirred inside. She was uncomfortable with the situation. Temari tensed slightly but remained calm.

"She was-" Naruto started to say but was cut off.

"She doesn't smell like werewolf. Its gone." The voice said. It was another male voice, but sounded much older than the two boys.

Riau stirred uncomfortably and was getting anxious in being around these monsters. Temari could feel it and was nervous and felt herself shake slightly.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said lightly with a smile. "How are you?"

Kakashi stepped out in the light. He was pale with silver hair that stood on end. He was also wearing a mask over his face. From a distance he looked like a very sick human, but to Temari she could see the signs of a vampire.

"You are out in the sun," Temari began and everyone looked at her quizzically. "but you are not burning like a normal vampire, although you look like one."

"You are insightful." The man stated as he smiled. Temari noticed the small movement under the dark cloth, but his eyes also closed.

"Kakashi was given that eye after a battle and lost his own. He has the powers and immortality like any vampire but requires food like a normal human. The sunlight doesn't burn him but it is irritating." Sakura explained.

"How do you know this?" Temari asked quickly then immediately regret it when she saw Sakura's face.

"She's in love with a vampire. She wants us all to have a fair life so she can have a fair one too." Kakashi said as he got a death glare from the young pinkette.

"I'm not doing it selfishly." Sakura protested. She looked strained as she turned to Temari and grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes. "You met these guys and nothing happened. They wouldn't hurt a human and I'm trying to prove to everyone that. We use to live peacefully. Kakashi was around then. He was young but he had friends who were abnormal. No one believes me."

"At least you didn't bring Shikamaru this time." Kiba said scratching behind his ear. He then rubbed his head where Sakura had hit him with a rock.

"He hates you guys." Temari stated, she didn't mean to say it outloud.

"He is mad at me mostly," Sakura began. "I knew how the village would react to them, but they needed to know. Now everyone thinks I just want to be a blood whore for some guy who ran away. It's not his fault his dad puts all this pressure on him."

The silence that held in the air was thick. Temari wanted to ask what she meant by it. The stirring anger inside her reminded her that he was just someone who would try and kill her if he found out.

Temari let out a sigh that caught the attention of Kakashi, who was still in the dark of the house. The other 3 were talking amongst themselves about how nice it would be to go into town. She saw him nudge his head towards the inside of the house and he suddenly left. Temari looked at Sakura, who didn't notice anything.

"Do you guys have a bathroom I could borrow?" Temari asked, interrupting the conversation. Naruto smiled and told her some quick directions then went back to talking to Sakura. Kiba and his dog were playing in the vast field, still trying to be included in the conversation.

Temari walked nervously towards the little cottage, it looked as if it had survived a war and would fall in itself anytime from up close. She walked through the front door and took a quick survey of the room. She noticed Kakashi hiding in the shadows, before he stood closer to the dimmed light.

"You don't belong here." He said simply "Dangers lurk in the shadows more than in the day. Return to your home, young one."

Temari frowned and pushed Riau back down where she could be hidden. Kakashi's red eye began to swirl, which made Temari even more nervous than before.

"You don't co-exist among each other, yet she will keep you from harm even if you are naïve." Kakashi said stepping closer to Temari. He got as close to smell her neck, where her veins seemed to be pulsing even faster.

"I-I'm looking for someone." Temari got out. Kakashi backed away to look at her. His red eye stopped swirling, but he was scrutinizing her.

"Tsunade." Kakashi stated, he looked at his hands before speaking. "She will help, but she isn't often alone, or sober. I can't take you to her, nor can I talk to her for you."

"Then why did you want to talk to me?" Temari asked. She was a mix of emotions and felt slightly dizzy.

"A Konoha legend. I want to tell you about it." Kakashi said. Riau snapped into full on defense mode making Temari shiver. Kakashi let out a chuckle, he noticed it.

"The Uchiha family was a strong family of vampire that often tried their hardest to protect this village. They were not only their own source of food, but friends and neighbours. They were the first family to see humans as something else, than just food. The Sharingan was something that allowed the villagers to distinguish the difference between them and the ones who would kill them. I don't want to go over much of the history behind the red eyed vampires. What you need to know is that they were able to see things other vampires, monsters and people couldn't. They could see true love, soul mates. Yours is close by, I can smell it on you and see it in your soul." Kakashi said, as pictures danced in Temari's mind like a personal movie theatre. She noticed Kakashi behind these scenes slightly, his eye swirling.

"You have trouble ahead though. Your soul will know you better half, but he will not. You will notice it right away, something that runs through all monsters in finding their perfect mate. You should avoid contact with this person as much as possible." Kakashi said a little more aggressively than before. Temari cringed when she saw what he meant. She felt the pain in her heart, being stabbed, killing her.

"You are in much danger here. Your demon protects you, you have the ability to live a normal life some of wish we could have." Kakashi was staring at her eyes. Temari was speechless, she wasn't sure what to do.

"I'm going to die if I don't leave?" Temari asked simply.

"Temari! We should get going!" Sakura called, the voice getting closer to the cottage home. Temari noticed it was slowly getting darker outside and ran out the door to catch up with the pinkette. She looked scared to see Temari so suddenly.

"Let's go, I'm exhausted." Temari said faking a yawn. She was spooked by what this man showed her. It could be fake for all she knows.

They walked down the path and through streets as it the sun began to set even more. Temari began to get even more nervous, Riau was pushing as hard as she could to get through. She liked the dark, and had enough hiding in the back.

"Sakura, I left my bag back at their house." Temari said sheepishly. She needed to get away, Riau may not wait.

"We can get it tomorrow. It's starting to get dark. We have to get back to my place." Sakura said with slight urgency. Even she would be a little nervous caught after it got dark.

"It has something I need. I can't not have it." Temari said simply. She had stopped walking. Sakura looked back nervously. She bit her lip.

"Be super quick. If you aren't back in an hour I will send ANBU to find you." Sakura threatened.

Temari gave a smile before running off in the direction she came. That's when she felt Riau push and take over.

She jumped up on roof tops and jumped across them towards the edge. She leaped a great distance from the last house to the wall, gracefully landing on top before jumping off into the distance.

Temari calmed and let Riau have complete control, she needed the freedom. It was the happiness and calming factor, neither noticed that someone had witnessed everything from a far distance.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Temari wasn't aware of her actions and couldn't feel anything that was going around. It was an odd experience, but she knew it was the only way to let it happen. She couldn't feel the temperature drop as the sun fell down below the horizon. She couldn't feel the bite of the wind as Riau ran as fast as she could deeper into the woods, skillfully jumping from the higher lighter branches high in the trees. She could, see and could hear, but she couldn't control and feel. She felt lost, like in a dream.

It was pleasant at first. She could feel the happiness radiating from Riau, it was heartwarming to know she was relaxed for once. She felt like the wind. Flying high above the trees at time, to fall back into the depths of green. She felt the laughter as she could sense a few wolves and beasts lurking below, waiting for her to fall.

Temari laughed when Riau teased them, purposely falling towards the ground just to grab a branch and fling herself back upwards. The low growls would fade slightly until they sensed her get close again. At one point she actually jumped towards the hungry were-wolves, jumping off their heads towards a branch they couldn't leave.

It was harmless, until they sniffed the air and left in a hurry.

Temari felt Riau tense at the sight of them leaving. She scanned the area and quickly got to the highest point of the tree was in. She sniffed the air lightly, similar to the wolves had. She grimaced when she smelt it. The scent of human blood mixed with sweat, but that wasn't the part that made her grimace. The scent of metals and chemicals were hidden lightly underneath it but not well.

_Monster Hunters. Scum. Death. _Riau had thought before trying to run in the opposite direction.

Temari was worried, and a little scared, but felt that she owed her life to Riau. She had always been there to keep Temari alive, even when she didn't want to.

They both noticed it a little too late, a branch that had been cut enough that any amount of pressure on it would snap. She heard the small growl be released from her counterpart and drop loudly to the ground, where a few of them were waiting.

Theses ones were specially trained ANBU, the assassins of the monster hunter community. They went followed specific monsters for months, sometimes years, before they killed them. They learned all their secrets and when they were weakest.

Riau started laughing manically as one tried to lunge at her from in the front. Temari gasped as she didn't move and allowed the light sword to run directly through her stomach. Temari felt tingles run from her finger tips and toes towards her center. It was familiar and Riau started to fall into small grains of sand.

The wind picked up and Temari felt the cold chill of it, something she shouldn't be feeling at the moment. She couldn't help but panic slightly as she began to drift away, into particle so small that the ANBU agents had to shield their eyes.

She felt herself over a great distance of space as they travelled back towards the village. Riau only used that ability if she felt danger she couldn't escape by fighting. It was her last resort, but she didn't even try.

Temari felt herself slam into the solid form of a human, herself controlling the body and feeling everything. She threw up almost immediately in the trash can that she appeared by, and looked around for her surroundings. They were in some back ally Temari had never seen in an area of the village that scared her.

She placed her hand on the brick wall beside her for support, her legs threatened to give out with each step. Her movements were slow, but made her dizzy with each step.

"What are you doing out after sunset." A gruff voice said from the street she had approached.

"I got lost." Temari said faintly as she gripped the wall beside her.

The man frowned before walking cautiously towards her. He had brown hair and was smoking a cigarette. The smell bothered her and caused her to lean away slightly.

"What hotel are you at?" He asked before gripping her arm steadying her.

"I am staying at a friend's house." Temari said weakly, stumbling as he brought her down side roads towards the main street.

"Who?" He asked again. Temari felt like she was being punished for something she had never done.

"Sakura." Temari stated. The name came out as a mumble before she blacked out. Riau had used all the energy she had getting away, and even more as she hid into the safety of Temari's sub conscious.

Temari felt cold, and then suddenly really warm.

Temari groaned lightly as a light same through the small opening in the blinds. She head felt like it was on fire, as well as the rest of her body. Voices outside her door weren't helping with her headache.

They were arguing about something, would get quiet then loud again. Temari tried to ignore it, but heard someone say her name.

"She needs to be questioned." A voice said. It was a deeper tone, and sounded bored.

"She hasn't done anything to threaten this village, you have no right." A lighter and an angrier voice said. Temari figured the lighter one was female, and the deeper voice was male.

"I have to. He wants a report." The male voice said. Temari heard the door handle jiggle slightly.

"Don't you open the door, she is sleeping after she passed out again." The female voice said sternly.

It was silent before Temari pushed herself up into a sitting position. She grabbed the cup of water that was beside the bed but never brought the clear liquid to her lips. The door had slowly opened, revealing Sakura and who Temari had remembered as Shikamaru. She hadn't noticed that the bed creaked when she moved.

Sakura rushed over to the bed and put the back of her hand to her forehead.

"How are you feeling?" Sakura asked. She looked worried and was looking all over Temari for any new cuts or scratches.

"Fine." Temari croaked out, then winced when she touched her stomach. Sakura noticed and lifted her shirt enough to see a giant black bruise. It was darkest in a line but spread out, and faded into a lighter colour.

She noticed the male in the room jolt in surprise then cough lightly and look out the window. Sakura looked over at him with a scowl.

"What did you do to her?" Sakura asked louder than necessary.

"I didn't do anything to her." He answered defensively.

"Then how would she get that mark? You and I both know that I know it would only be made from an ANBU weapon. The only ones who carry them stay outside the village and she was inside. So, look at me and tell me you don't know!" Sakura was yelling as she walked to a small desk in the room and pulled out a kit. She was throwing what she didn't need on top of the desk and walked over to the bed with a small jar. It had a greenish salve in it that Sakura immediately started applying to Temari.

Shikamaru was about to yell something back when Temari started screaming at the top of her lungs and grabbed her stomach. Sakura yelled at Shikamaru and Temari felt herself being held down by his hands. He eventually held both wrists in one and used the other hand to wipe away the tears that she hadn't noticed running down her face and telling her to relax.

Temari calmed down when the pain subsided and was released afterwards. Sakura was wrapping her stomach with bandages and Shikamaru was watching from the far wall.

"Thanks." Temari said quietly in the silence. Sakura and Shikamaru looked at each other than at her.

"What happened Temari?" Sakura asked lightly. She took the salve and inspected it closer. Then threw it in the garbage

"I couldn't find the way back. I got lost." Temari said lightly. She didn't want to have to lie, but she couldn't tell anyone.

"You left her alone?" Shikamaru asked Sakura slightly shocked.

"It was getting dark. She survived an attack already and many others from her scars. She can survive all of them if she travelled from Suna. I knew she would make it back safe." Sakura said justifying herself.

"How have you survived a trip from Suna?" Shikamaru asked Temari, scrutinizing her.

"Luck." Temari said, then smirked. She didn't know what else to do. She wanted to go back to sleep but assumed she wouldn't be able to for the first little while.

Shikamaru looked at Sakura and motioned his head towards the door. She shook hers and crossed her arms.

"I already checked the sample you guys sent to me beforehand. I checked the sample I took from the hospital. I could take another one now and it would be the same. She is a human Shikamaru, not something you want to kill upon discovery." Sakura said getting angrier with each word.

"Then why did she react like that? How has she not turned? Why did she leave Suna in the first place?" Shikamaru started asking. He stared at Sakura before she let out a huff.

"What happened to my friend?" Sakura asked as she turned around and begun packing up her kit.

"He faced reality. You should too, forget about your crazy ideas of peace. Sasuke isn't coming back." Shikamaru stated watching the pinkette pack her things.

Temari moved without realizing it. She walked over to Shikamaru and punched him in the face. He fell to the ground and Temari's legs gave out at the same time. Sakura gasped but stood where she was.

Shikamaru stared at the dark blonde that was staring at the floor as she sat there. When she looked up she felt funny on the inside. She felt Riau for the first time waking up and it was something she never experienced. Sakura carefully walked over and sat beside Temari, touching her arm and asking something she couldn't hear.

_Your soul will know your better half, but he will not._

"Get out." Temari said clearly. She tried getting up but had not strength in her legs. He went to offer her a hand up, but she slapped it away.

"Temari don't be rash. We fight about this all the time." Sakura said helping her towards the bed.

"I don't trust you. I have never trusted a Monster Hunter. They lie and kill innocent people that merely get hurt by animals. Not monsters, but animals. They are corrupt and want to kill off anyone who doesn't believe in what they do. You are all a bunch of fascists." Temari said calmly. She said it too calmly and it didn't sound like her voice to her.

Sakura watched as Shikamaru got up and left, but not without glaring hard at Temari. Sakura made her drink the water from earlier and it put her to sleep.

Temari had never felt colder than when she passed out. He was supposed to be her soul mate, but he thought she was a menace to his village. It didn't help that all her nightmares that night were of him plunging a sword into her human heart, killing her and releasing her inner demon.


End file.
